Envelope opener



y 1929. J. wfaowens 1.713.019

ENVELOPE OPENER Filed Dec. "1, 1925 Snow trot 1 I I I.

(Jr-Korma; Q

latented May 14, i929 l l'ED sra'rttr twill t l Amilication filed December type the blade oil which can be shi lted so as to to be completely housed within the body portion ot the tool When not used, thus allowing the tool to be carried conveniently in the pocket.

Another object to provide simple means whereby the blade can be secured in either active or inactive position;

l l ith the foregoing and other objects in view which Will appear the den ripti n proceeds, the invention. re ides in the combination and arran 'enient oi parts and in the details of construe ion hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment oi the invention herein disclosed may be made with is") in the scope oi What is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

la the accompanying drawings, the preferred term of the invention has been shown.

lln said drawings,

Figure l. is a side elevation of: the i'levieo.

Figure 2 is a section on line 53-42 liigure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 Figure 1.

Referring to the figures by characters oi reterence l designates a longitiulinally chan- Jill 355 neled body preferably formed of sheet metal and provided at one end with a cylindricai tubular handle 2.

Formed in one side of the body It is a longis tudinal slot 3 While in the opposite side oit i the body are spaced apertures 4t and 5. [it

spring strip 6 is slidably mounted on the slotted side of the body and has one end portion slidable Within a slot 7 torineu in the handle 2 adjacent the point Where it merges into the body 1. Que end of this spring strip 6 is adapted to bear slidably upon the inner sin-taco oi the handle 2 as shown at 8 While the other end portion oi the strip is bent out ivardly to constitute a finger piece 9 A stud 10 is carried by the spring strip 6 close to the linger piece and extends through the slot This stud is adapted to be seated. Within either one of the apertures t and 5.

A detachable cutting blade has been indifi l cated at 11. This blade has a straight cutting edge 12 and a curved back edge 13. The

t, CHEF-Mn Serial No XS/WW.

inner orbutt end oi? the blade is nrovided with a reinforcing head 14: adapted to lit snu ly within the channeled body as shown in Figure 52;. an opening 15 is formed in the blade and is designet l. to receive the stud 10. l t hen it desired to use the blade ll for the purpose ot' opening an ei'ivelope or the the linger piece 9 is pulled outwardly a sutlieient distance to withdrew the stiid :troni the opei'iing 5 but not to withdraw it FY0111 the opening in the blade 11. Said linger piece is then thrust forwardly so that the end portion 8 of the strip 6 Will slide along the inner surface of the handle 2. lhis movewant is continued until the stud 10 comes opposite the opening at which time it will swing into said opening and thus lock the bhade Itil projected. beyond the body 1 as shown in Figure 1. llhereafter the blade can be retracted into the body 1 simply by again pulling outwardly on the linger piece 5), This will disengage the stud 10 from the wall oi the opening 4;, The strip 6 can then he slid backivardly to the position shown in. liigure 2 whereupon the stud 10 will snap into the aperture 5 and fasten the blade 11 in. retracted position.

l l hen it is desired to remove the blade bodily from the clninueled portion l the li .iger piece it is pulled outwardly a-sutlieientdistauce to Witluh'aw the stud 10 from the opening in the blade Said blade can then be taken out of the body, sharpened, and replaced, or a new blade can be inserted. its the curved back ot the blade constantly projects out of the channel, it can be grasped at any time whether 1c blade is )rojected or retracted, stream. 4 'red to remove the blade. Thus the ren'iovai can be eiij'ccted with perfect satety as the cutting edge 12 Will not be prc-' sentedi,

i i hat is claimed is:

A. tool of the class described including a tutuilar handle, a longitiulinally channelled body extending troui one end thereof, said body co aerating With one side of the handie to torn; an obtuse angle, there being a slot in the angle port-ion openil'ig into the handle, a blade normally housed in the chani'ielled body having a longitudinal cutting edge supported in the inner portion ot the cluinnellcd body and a longitudinally bowed back edge normally n'ojecting outwardly from the channelled body, there being a longitudinal slot in one side of the body, a s jiring strip extending through the slot in the angle portion and projecting .into and slidable 7 l tachably engaging the blade, said strip and pin constituting means for sliding the blade longitudinally of the body to project one end thereof beyond the body, there being openings in one side of the body for the reception of the pin to hold the blade in either of t\\() extreme positions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

JAMES W. BOVERS. 

